If this is the first time you heard about it then I am telling you that in my opinion, it is a very good software considering that it’s free.

The interface is good and the 3D rendering is done in real time, so every time you put an object such as furniture, doors, wall colors, room size, and even the roof, the 3D window will update it immediately.

The standard furniture included in the Sweet Home 3D setup package are enough for you to design a good looking home but furniture and other objects can also be downloaded from the internet. It’s fun, you should try it :)

I first spotted this one on cameranker.com, a pretty good looking site covering digital cameras and it also provides a ranking feature, familiar and easy to use filtering menu inluding the color of the camera but it lacks of advanced search and compare feature.

OK, back to 26x optical zoom on a compact camera. Compact means easy to use even I don’t think it’s easy to carry since the size is quite big but the most exciting is to know that it has 26x optical zoom to boost your zoom range deeper into the object details.

I don’t rely on one source so I checked the offifial Olympus USA and it the same specs as what cameranker said, more over it also features DUAL IMAGE STABILIZATION, ADVANCED FACE DETECTION, HIGH-SPEED SEQUENTIAL SHOOTING, PRE-CAPTURE and 12 megapixels with 2.7 LCD Screen.

Sounds like someone pays me to write this post right? :D No, I just excited to see a new tech product being released especially with this kind of specs. Have a nice day :)

If you are running Windows 7 Beta or Windows XP, you?ll need to back up your data (preferably on an external device) and then do a clean installation of Windows 7 RC. After installing Windows 7, you will need to reinstall applications and restore your files. If you are running Windows Vista, you can upgrade to RC.

There are some new features of Windows 7, such as the ability to watch and record live TV or navigation through the use of “touch,” but they may require advanced or additional hardware. The features and functionality you find in the pre-release product may not appear in the final version of Windows 7. Some notable Windows Vista features and components have been replaced or removed in Windows 7, including the classic Start Menu user interface, Windows Ultimate Extras, InkBall, and Windows Calendar.

I haven’t tried the beta and probably will not do it either with this RC version since I heard from many who had time to test that Windows 7 is no more than a repro of Windows Vista and this lead me to unproofed conclusion that Windows XP (I am currently using) is still - more or less - better than this latest version, but if for some reason you need or you want to try it - just go ahead.

I got curious about it and then I tried a simple test against Microsoft Query via Excel Import External Data feature, and Yes! Microsoft Query is not recognizing some of my test query parameters. If it does recognize the1st and the 2nd parameters, why it does not recognize the 3rd? I have no idea why, but I guess it’s a bug and they forget to debug it - so be it :D

Microsoft Query allows you to enter a hard coded SQL statement with parameters directly into the editor but it didn’t work as I described previously so we need to figure out another way to get around it.

As we know that most Database servers allow you to create a stored SQL statement for future use such as “query” on MS-Access and “stored procedure” on SQLServer. This ability gives me an idea:

What if I create an MS-Access query which can accept parameters and then call it from Excel’s Import External Data feature? Can Microsoft Query recognize all the parameters with this kind of method? The answer is Yes! Microsoft Query is recognizing all of the parameters.

Following are the steps on how to call stored procedure to Import External Data into Microsoft Excel. Some steps may look strange but based on my tests, each of them needs to be taken correctly,

___________________________________________________________________________

MS-ACCESS PART

1. Open the your Access DB
2. Create a Query by using SQL mode
3. Enter your SQL statement there (inluding the ? sign)
4. Save it as “MyQuery”

ODBC SETTING

1. Create an ODBC Connection to your DB

EXCEL PART

1. Navigate to Data -> Import External Data -> New Database Query
2. On the Database Tab, select the ODBC name you had created
3. Click OK
4. Click Cancel (just do it)
5. Select Yes if Microsoft Query ask you to edit the query
6. Click Close on Add Tables dialog (just do it)
7. Click SQL button on the toolbar
8. Enter {Call MyQuery(?, ?, ?)}
9. Click OK <- You will get an error message, Click OK to continue anyway
10. Enter each of your parameter
11. Close Microsoft Query
12. Insert The imported data on your worksheet
13. Select any cell on the area where you put the imported data then go to Data -> Refresh Data

___________________________________________________________________________

The question mark there is a sign that it can accept parameter. Let me give you an example to ease the understanding just in case this kind of stuff is a new one for you. So if you type an SQL statement like the one below into the MS-Access Query Designer (SQL Mode):

and then you save the query as “MyQuery“, when you call the query using the following syntax from Microsoft Query (SQL Mode):

That call will pass the parameter value (100) to “MyQuery” and in the background it will actually generate an SQL statement like the following,

That’s how it works, the question mark is replaced by the parameter value passed to MS-Access saved query.

TIPS IF YOU USE SQLSERVER INSTEAD OF MS-ACCESS

If you use SQLServer instead of MS-Access to Import External Data into MS-Excel, the method is the same but on SQLServer we call the saved query as “stored procedure” and here is the syntax to create it based on the example above:

So, if you are having the same problem with hard coded SQL Statement when you need to import external data into Microsoft Excel, you can try this method.

Good luck :) and don’t forget to check the discussion thread related to this issue on IT-Toolbox for more detail.

I remember watching The Secrets movie which is talking about a mindset on how to get a wealthy life, a success in many areas of your life just by using your mind.

Well, it may works for most of us because we have the infrastructure to do it or at least we have the information on how to start it, but for the people who don’t have any chance to access the infrastructure, who still thinking nothing except about how to feed their family on daily basis, it needs more than a mindset to get them out from poverty.

As Sonia Simone said in a different words that “the problem they are facing is not an illusion. It can not be easily ignored by thinking that it’s not there“, it’s real and it has been happening from generation to generation. It needs actions from others to help them out by giving them a chance to do it.

Nothing can be blamed. But it’s just sad to see who capable of doing something to make a difference still done nothing about it. I am not trying to be provocative so you can be a full time volunteer to overcome poverty - no, since not everyone has the calling for it, I just want to say that we can make a different by doing what we can do at the moment, no matter how small it is.

I have a big dream to build a free internet education center for kids who still don’t have a chance for it, but I guess it’s just to big at the moment so I decided to take action on the small one. I am now sponsoring two kids, paying for their education fee so they can graduate from senior high school. Only two kids and only to get them graduated from senior high because I can’t afford to give more. But those kids have been giving me the the great feeling I’ve never felt before. Reading their letters, their stories, knowing that what I am doing are meant to them make me feel useful. Believe me, it’s a great feeling, you should try it :D

If you willing to start by doing what I have been doing on education part that will be a good start. I don’t have the list of foundations who willing to ease the process for you if you don’t have time to directly do it but I know a foundation which is working good delivering the hope for children on my country since I know the people who take care of the process here. FYI: I am one of their sponsored child when I was in college. It’s The World Hope International. It’s not only for my country, it’s also working on over 30 countries.

“This is our moment. This is our time. This is our chance to stand up for what’s right. We’re not looking for charity, we’re looking for justice. We cannot fix every problem, but the ones we can, we must.” Bono, Live 8 Concert

Following are some blog posts I’ve read so far related to Blog Action Day 2008. Let’s make a different Guys…

• Zoe Westhof - How $10 Can Actually Make a Difference
• Charlie Gilkey - Four Easy Reasons to Ignore World Poverty
• Nichelle Strzepek - Blog Action Day: ASTEP Toward Ending Poverty
• Judy Dunn - Blog Action Day 2008: Abadou’s Birthday